Vehicle-brake



Nrrnn .STATES PATENT rricn.

ISAAC NEV'lON KEELING, OF TOMAHAVK, ARKANSAS.

VEHICLE-BRAKE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 558,282, dated April 14, 1896.

Application led May 2l, 1895. Serial No. 550,118. (No model.)

.To a/ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC NEWTON KEEL- ING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Tomahawk, in the county of Searcy and State of Arkansas, have invented a new and useful Vehicle-Brake, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to improvements in vehicle-brakes.

The object of the present invention is to im-f prove the construction of vehicle-brakes, more especially the means for attaching the brake-shoes to a brake bar, beam, or thelike; to provide means whereby Vthe brake-shoes of a vehicle may be readily removed when worn and new ones quickly secured in posisition, and to enable brake-shoes to be temporarily removed when it is desired to repair them or while a vehicle is traveling over a stretch of muddy road to prevent the wheels from clogging with mud and being retarded by the same.

The invention consists in the construction and novel combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and pointed out in the claim hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a device constructed in accordance with this invention, and showing the manner of attaching a brake-shoe to a brake bar or beam. Fig. 2 is a similar View, the brakeshoe being removed. Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, the parts being arranged as shown in Fig. l.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

l designates a brake-shoe-clamping device comprising a back 2, which is secured to a brake bar or beam 8, a stationary jaw 4, located at the outer side of the back 2, and a movable jaw 5, which is located at the inner side of the back 2 and which is held in engagement with a brake-block 6 by a lever 7. The back 2 of the clamping device is provided at its inner side with a vertically-disposed flange or tongue S, arranged parallel with the adjacent face of the brake bar or beam 3, and fulcrumed on the tongue or flange 8 is the lever 7.

The locking-lever 7 has its inner orpivoted end enlarged and bifurcated and secured to the tongue or flange 8 by a fastening device l0, forming the pivot or fulcrum, and the engaging end of the lever is bulged or enlarged at 11 to form a cam. The edge of the cam ll is curved and is situated at a greater distance from the pivot l0 than the upper side edge 12 of the lever, whereby, when the latter is arranged vertically, the movable -jaw will be released, and when swung downwardl in a horizontal position the movable jaw will be caused to clamp the brake-block. The engaging end of the lever is cut away slightly below the cam or curved edge 1l in order that the lever may swing slightly beyond the center to lock it, to prevent the brake-block from being released by the jolting of a vehicle.

The brake-block may be released or clamped by raising or lowering the lever 7, and it will `be apparent that the clamping device is adapted to permit a brake-block to be readily detached when it is desired to repair the same or when passing over a stretch of muddy road to avoid clogging the wheels and retarding the vehicle. It will also be apparent that when the brake block or shoe becomes worn a new 011e may be readily lmounted on'the brake bar or beam.

Changes in` the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention, such as mounting the lever so as to swing downward in unlocking and arranging it to conform to the construction of any running-gear or brake mechanism.

The combination with a brake-shoe, of a clamping device comprising a back provided at its inner side with a vertical iiange or tongue, a stationary jaw located at the outer side of the back and rigid therewith and engaging the brake-shoe, a movable jaw en gag- IOO ing the inner side of the brake-shoe and provided with an opening receiving the said iiange or tongue, and a locking-lever fulcrumed on the flange or tongue above its eenter and provided adjacent to its upper edge with a Cam ll and having a shoulder below the latter, said Shoulder forming a stop, adapted to engage the movable j aw and maintaining the lever in substantially a horizon- 

